The Rangers fringe players and youngsters recently played a friendly game against Liverpool’s u-23, and the Bears were left 4-0 down at the half time. According to the latest reports from the Scottish Sun, Gerrard was left infuriated with the performance of some of his players, and he indicated that they could be shipped out in the upcoming summer transfer window. According to this report, the players are Kyle Lafferty, Eros Grezda and Borna Barisic.
Grezda and Barisic have struggled with injuries for most of the season. But when they have been available, they haven’t done enough to impress. Barisic’s drop in form last year came as a surprise as he looked sharp when he was initially signed. The fact that he was also making it to the Croatian national team squad suggested that Rangers had managed a massive coup.
However, his commitment and desire have been questioned. Andy Halliday, who is probably not as blessed as Barisic in terms of skills, has done better than him because of his sheer commitment and desire to play for Rangers.
What Did Gerrard say?
Gerrard was recently quoted as saying, ”I was annoyed we were 4-0 down to a gang of kids. There were a number of players who just downed tools. You realise pretty clearly who’s with you. You realise who fancies being part of this and wants to give everything, they’re committed to the journey going forward. ”
“I’m not here to speak about individual players, but I’ve already spoken about Grezda and Barisic a while ago. Have I seen anything in the interim to show me they’ve taken it on board? Well, one’s been injured but have they played in the starting 11? Not much, so that’s the answer to your question. You’ve got no chance, especially in this country, if your attitude isn’t bang on. If you’re not mentally strong, you get chewed up and spat out in this league.”
What now for Rangers?
It’s clear that Gerrard is frustrated and these players future could look in jeopardy in the summer. Maybe Gerrard is calling them out publicly to see some reaction from them in the training grounds. However, calling them out publicly would inevitably affect their demand in the transfer market, so the gaffer is walking on a double-edged sword here.
But, if he feels that these players aren’t giving him enough commitment and quality on the pitch, then he is right in moving them away from the club. However, it could put more pressure on him in the transfer market if they decide to ship some of the mentioned players as the club would have to look for their replacements.
